Donald Trump-Ron DeSantis rivalry heats up as they head to Florida

The rivalry between former US President Donald Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is taking on a more personal and confrontational tone, as both vie for the Republican Party’s nomination for the 2024 presidential race. Recent days have seen Donald Trump receiving endorsements from prominent figures in Florida, including Senator Rick Scott and state lawmaker Randy Fine, who has been a long-time ally of DeSantis and advised him on matters related to Israel. Trump had already secured the backing of most Republican members of Congress from the state, and it appears that more Florida Republicans may follow suit. Despite DeSantis’ strong track record as governor, where he implemented policies highly favoured by conservatives and shifted the traditionally competitive swing state further to the right, he currently lags in the 2024 race. Trump’s campaign is not solely focused on winning the GOP nomination but also on embarrassing DeSantis on his home turf and on the national stage. Republican strategist Alex Conant, who was part of Florida Sen. Marco Rubio’s 2016 presidential campaign, noted, “Weakening DeSantis’ standing in Florida is a clear objective of the Trump campaign. His entire message is built on the idea that he is a terrific governor. When Republican officials in Florida are choosing Trump over DeSantis, it really weakens the core of DeSantis’ pitch.” Both Trump and DeSantis are scheduled to address the GOP hopefuls at the Florida Freedom Summit on Saturday, an event hosted by the state GOP at an Orlando-area convention centre. Senator Scott, Randy Fine, and four US House members who have already pledged their support to Trump are also on the list of speakers. In a subsequent event, DeSantis will join other candidates for the third Republican debate in Miami, just four days later. Trump, however, will once again skip the debate and hold his own event in the nearby suburb of Hialeah, complete with its own “spin room,” challenging the traditional post-debate gathering where journalists conduct interviews after debates. Initially expected to be Trump’s primary rival after his landslide re-election victory last November, DeSantis has faced challenges since he launched his campaign in May and currently trails far behind in the race. A Des Moines Register poll published on Monday showed him tied in Iowa with Nikki Haley, the former South Carolina governor, and former United Nations ambassador, both standing at 16 per cent, a significant 27 percentage points behind the former president. The rivalry between Trump and DeSantis has become increasingly heated, with Trump criticising DeSantis as disloyal for running against him, and his campaign mocking DeSantis’ laughter and interactions with voters. In response, DeSantis has pointed out Trump’s mistakes and suggested that the former president no longer possesses the same energy he once did. Recent exchanges have taken a cruder turn, with Trump’s allies promoting headlines suggesting that DeSantis wears lifts in his boots. DeSantis, in turn, stated on Newsmax, “If Donald Trump can summon the courage to show up at the debate, I’ll wear a boot on my head.” DeSantis’ super PAC then began selling a set of golf balls with the inscription, “Ron DeSantis has a pair,” to which Trump’s spokesperson, Steven Cheung, responded, “Ron DeSantis is so financially challenged that he needs to sell his assets to strangers to pay his bills and keep the lights on.” These references to male anatomy in the campaign’s rhetoric harken back to a similar exchange during Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign when Senator Marco Rubio joked about Trump’s “small hands” in response to Trump’s personal attacks. Rubio subsequently dropped out of the race after losing Florida’s primary. In a symbolic move in September, state party members in Florida voted against requiring primary candidates to pledge support for the eventual nominee, a stance that Trump has also taken for national GOP debates. Joe Gruters, former chairman of the state party and one of the few Republican Florida lawmakers who have endorsed Trump, anticipated more endorsements from Florida officials but noted the risks involved for those who choose to oppose DeSantis, as he will remain the governor for the next three years. Gruters accused DeSantis of being “vindictive” toward those who support Trump, making many officials reluctant to take a public stand. Consequently, he said, “A lot of people are still afraid to come forward.” With AP inputs